§ We came to this world to LIVE OUT LOUD!
The 5 Things I Do Every Morning to Look and Feel My Best
I’m a firm believer that how we start the day influences how that day flows, how we feel and what we achieve.
And I’m not a morning person. It takes all my willpower to do the things that I know will make me feel good.
I pretty much had to force myself… until I started to feel the benefits of my morning routine.
And especially once I noticed how different my days flowed without my morning routine….
How much less energy I had.
How my mood seemed more down.
How I was more easily irritated and grumpier with those around me.
How I got less done.
That’s when I became committed to a morning routine that sets me up for the best possible day.
And I’m so committed to it at this hat pretty much nothing keeps me off track.
The best part is that it usually takes me less than an hour.
Here’s what I do every morning:
1. Wake up, walk to the bathroom and read something inspirational while I’m taking care of my bodily functions (5 min).
TMI? I want to get real here. Most people wake up, grab their phone and head straight for the bathroom. I used to do it too until I realized how starting my day by checking emails or social media left me feeling worried, anxious and just somehow, off.
I decided to try starting my day with some inspirational reading. I left the book right on top of the toilet so as to not forget and get sucked into my phone.
And guess what? The results were immediate. I felt grounded, calm and inspired. Currently, I’m reading Your True Home, the Everyday Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hahn.
Today’s reading was about The Lamp of Mindfulness:
We have a lamp inside us, the lamp of mindfulness, which we can light anytime. The oil of that lamp is our breathing, our steps, and our peaceful smile. We have to light up that lamp of mindfulness so the light will shine out and the darkness will dissipate and cease. Our practice is to light that lamp.
This was a beautiful reminder to practice mindfulness throughout the day. It has impacted how I’ve gone through my day, which, in turn, has continued to bring me inner peace.
2. Drink warm lemon water and take my supplements (1 min).
I learned years ago that drinking warm water with lemon juice in the morning on an empty stomach is good for you. Here are some of the benefits of drinking warm lemon water in the morning:
As a rich source of vitamin C, lemon juice protects the body from immune system deficiencies, helps fight infections, and helps maintain digestive health.
Drinking lemon juice with warm water every morning helps in maintaining the pH balance of the body, which reduces inflammation, the leading cause of disease.
Lemon juice acts as a detoxifying agent. It’s very effective at cleansing the liver as it promotes the liver to flush out toxins.
Drinking lemon juice with warm water also helps reduce joint and muscle pain.
Lemon water is also a popular remedy for many kinds of skin problems ranging from acne, rashes and wrinkles to dark spots.
Lemon juice with warm water helps maintain digestive health, helps regulate natural bowel movement and increases the metabolic rate, thus aiding with weight loss.
It keeps the body hydrated and provides electrolytes.
And so much more, you can check out the full list here.
3. Do my morning meditation (15 min).
I’ve learned over the years the importance of starting each day with a meditation to ground myself, to balance my energy and to create the day (and life) I want to have.
Here’s a recording of the meditation I do every morning. My gift to you, with love.
4. Move my body (30 min).
I like to mix it up but I make sure that each morning I get in some cardio, weight training and stretching/yoga.
I power walk. I walk up the stairs to my apartment on the tenth floor. I swim (when possible). I hike. I dance.
I have 5 and 10-pound weights around to work on my upper body whenever I have an extra five minutes.
I stretch every day and do some yoga.
It’s crucial. It’s imperative. You can’t skip it. Just ask your body how it wants to move and move it.
5. Have my green smoothie as part of my intermittent fasting routine (5 min).
I usually wait until a couple of hours after I wake up to give my body some great nutrients. The reason for this is that I practice intermittent fasting most days.
What’s intermittent fasting?
It’s basically just eating during certain intervals for the day. In my case, I try to go 14 to 16 hours without eating in every 24-hour period. If I finish dinner at 7pm, I don’t have my green smoothie until at least 9 am the following morning. It’s not difficult for me at all because I don’t tend to be hungry in the morning and the lemon water provides me with the hydration I need.
Why do I do intermittent fasting?
I started playing around with intermittent fasting after I interviewed several experts for my last Extraordinary Life After 40 Summit. They shared about the benefits of allowing your body to get a break from digesting food and repair itself. You can read more about the benefits in this article in Healthline.
Since I started practicing intermittent fasting, I notice the following changes:
I have a lot more energy.
My mind is clearer.
Aches and pains have disappeared.
I’ve lost a few pounds of stubborn hormone-induced belly fat.
I’m less hungry and prone to snacking.
These changes help me feel great and are a part of a morning routine that helps me feel my best each and every day!
What’s the morning routine that helps you feel your best? What practices would you like to try?
I love connecting with you! Leave a comment below or send me an email at natalie@nataliematushenko.com.
Happy Tuesday!
xoxo,
Natalie
I’ll try and incorporate some of your ideas n my morning routine. I exercise for 1-1 and 1/2 hours every morning. I’ll try and have a different set of exercises for every second day. I have 2 glasses of warm water in the morning. I used to have one with lemon and honey. I’ll add lemon. I’ll also do exercises with wi=eights which I don’t do now.
My problem is to stay calm and positive. I am moving through a very rough period financially and that has made me become even more disorganised than usual. More than anything else I need to organise my time and do something constructive. Am now almost 77, but still pretty fit y the grace of God. I’m sure I can do better for myself. And ultimately it will be for the benefit of all. Thank you for your inspiring words.
Hi Dr. Yasmeen, thanks for reaching out! Sounds like you already do a lot to take care of yourself. Perhaps a meditation practice would be helpful to stay calm and positive. I find Dr. Joe Dispenza’s meditations/visualizations very helpful. And definitely doing something “constructive” (I would say something that provides you with a deep sense of purpose), would be really helpful.
Thank you for sharing all this input for your morning routine. It was very interesting.
Hi Katerina! So happy you liked it! Thanks for reaching out!
Thanks for sharing your morning routine. I do many of the same things. I am curious what you put in your green smoothies?
Hi Kristina, I don’t know if you’re on my mailing list but I sent out a recipe for the smoothie last week. Here it is again:
Ingredients:
scoop of collagens blend
handful of kale
handful of spinach
half handful of parsley
2 celery stalks
half of a large cucumber
half handful of mint leaves
1 inch piece of peeled ginger
large tablespoon of chia or hemp seeds
juice of 1 lemon
coconut water to cover half of the ingredients
water to cover the remaining ingredients
Blend all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender and enjoy!